Word Origin & History

temperament early 15c., "proportioned mixture of elements," from L. temperamentum "proper mixture," from temperare "to mix" (see temper). In medieval theory, it meant a combination of qualities (hot, cold, moist, dry) that determined the nature of an organism; this was extended to a combination of the four humors (sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, and melancholic) that made up a person's characteristic disposition. General sense of "habit of mind, natural disposition" is from 1821.

Example Sentences for temperament

Some veteran professors also note a strong cultural gap in temperament and outlook between themselves and the new faculty members.

All of these advantages, of course, depend on the character and temperament of the administrator.

They are different in nature, in temperament, in function.

His emotions were too fervent, his temperament too violent to allow for the usual distance between language and living.

In fact, predilection for one or the other character is a sign of the reader's own temperament.

Personality disorders, by contrast, are marbleized through the entire temperament.

Almost as equally debated is the squid's temperament.

Small and furry, the carnivores are known for their unearthly howl and cranky temperament.

Domestic animals are chosen for their ability to breed in captivity and for their calm temperament.

Short and sturdy, he was by temperament an introvert, his whole being dedicated to bookish research.